Cover plate for vehicle wheels



Jan. 1, 1952 w. P. HENDERSON COVER PLATE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 a! Ill. lurk W. P. HEN DERSON COVER PLATE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS Jan. 1, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 4 0 g m0 A V m A A Z Z Jan. 1, 1952 w. P. HENDERSON COVER PLATE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 25, 1948 IKE-=11.

INVENTOR. WILL/AM I? #ENOER-SO/V ATTOR/Vf/S Patented Jan. 1,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COVER PLATE FOR VEHICLE WHEELS- William P. Henderson, Detroit, Mich.

Application February 25, 1948, Serial No. 10,718

12 Claims. ,(Cl. 301-37) This invention relates to a cover plate for a vehicle wheel.

It is common practice to provide vehicle wheels, and in particular automotive vehicle wheels, with cover plates. These cover plates cover all, or a portion of, the wheel body and it has been customary to removably secure these cover plates to the wheel body. i

Among the disadvantages of the devices heretofore used for securing the cover to the wheel body is that the cover could only be removed from the wheel with difficulty or would be insecurely held and fall off the wheel while the vehicle was rolling over the highway and in other instances the cover would be held loosely on the wheel and vibrate or rattle, particularly if the vehicle was traveling over a rough spot in th highway.

This invention contemplates a cover plate for a wheel which is easily and expeditiously assembled to and disassembled from the wheel, which is securely releasably fastened to the wheel, which is more economical to produce than the currently used cover 'platesand fasteners therefor and which will not rattle or jar loose even when the vehicle is traveling over rough road.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a vehicle wheel showing my cover assembled thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of a vehicle whee] with my cover plate attached thereto and viewed from the outside of the wheel, that is, from the left hand side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view similar to the upper portion of Fig. 1 and showing a screw driver in position for removal of the cover from the wheel body.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the cover plate released from the wheel.

Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 with the cover plate secured to the wheel.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the cover plate released from the wheel body.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective of the cover plate showing the inside of the same.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a vehicle wheel showing a modified cover assembled thereto.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary View looking at the hook portion of my wheel cover from the outside of the cover. i

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view of the hook por-- tion of my cover as viewed from the inside.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view showing an instrument inserted for releasing the cover from the wheel.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown a wheel comprising a wheel body I and .a rim 2. The wheel body I is provided with a plurality of circumferential flanged portions 3 which engage the inner face of the rim 2 and are riveted thereto by a plurality. of rivets :4. wheel body I is provided with circumferential The.

, 2 edge portions 5 between the flange portions 3. At least two of the arcuate edge portions 5 will be diametrically positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1. My cover plate comprises a concave plate 6 which can be stamped. or spun from sheet metal such, for example, as sheet steel which has been chromium plated in a conventional manner, or my cover 6 can be spun from stainless steel or made from a resilient plastic material. Cover 6 has vulcanized or cemented along the circumferential edge 'I of the inside face 8, a plurality of resilientpads or cushions 9, preferably of rubber. The cover 6 is also provided with at least two diametrically opposed tongues I0 which extend generally in a plane perpendicular to the general plane of the cover 5. Each tongue I0 is provided with an inwardly turned radial flange I I. Each tongue [0 is provided with an opening I2 substantially in circumferential alignment with the circumferential edge 'I of cover 6. This opening I2 is readily formed by slitting tongue ID as at I3 and then pressing theportion of the tongue between the slit I3 and the flange II of tongue I0 outwardly to form a socket portion I4.

To assemble the cover plate to the Wheel it is merely necessary to hook one of the flanged tongues Ill over one of the circumferential edges 5 of the wheel bod and then press the cover 6 toward the wheel body until the flange: I l of the diametrically opposite tongue Ill snaps over the diametrically opposite circumferential edge portion 5. In pressing the cover 6 toward the wheel to snap 0r fasten it into position, rubber pads 9 are placed in compression (Fig. 5) and thus draw the flanges II tightly against the edge portions 5 of the wheel body. Further, the cover plate 6 is made of a spring resilient metal or plastic and arranged so that when it is disassembled from the wheel the distance between the inside faces I5 of tongues I0 is slightly less than the external diameter of the wheel between arcuate edge portions 5 so that when thecover B is assembled to the wheel, tongues ID are in tension and therefore tend at all times to draw the opposed flanges II toward each other. This materially aids in locking the cover plate to the wheel body and assists in holding it thereon in rattle-proof condition.

Cover 6 can be readily released from the wheel by inserting the operating end of a screw-driver I6 through opening I2 into socket I4 (Fig. 3) and then prying tongue I0 and flange II radially outwardly (Fig. 4-) by using screw-driver I6 as a lever and swinging it downwardly about the lower edge of opening I2 as a fulcrum. The lower edge of opening I2 is, of course, supported by the wheel body and by prying one tongue I ll radially outwardly, as indicated in Fig. 4, flange I I is disengaged'from edge 5 of the .wheel body and this causes the cover 6 to move outwardly of the 3 wheelbody whereby the diametrically opposed tongue l6 and flange ll will disengage the edge 5 of the wheel and the cover plate will be released from the wheel. Whenever one of the tongues I is disengaged from an edge of the wheel body, rubber pads9. being in compression, as shown in Fig. 5, will tend to move the cover plate 6 outwardly or away from the wheel body I, as illustrated in Fig. 6. If the upper tongue I0 is released, as illustrated in Fig. 4,;then asthe cover moves outwardly from, and downwardly upon, the wheel body the lower tongue Iii-will simultaneously be released or disengage the edge 5 of thewheelbody.

I preferably make my cover 6 of a sheet-metal stamping with ordinary lor stainless steel and h gre t n ues, -0 ,..wh. sh ar integral re: with, will be inherently resilientor have spring a s, It aee e ia that, to g es. I0 h u d be resilient or have spring; qualities in order'to resiliently interengagethe arcuate edge portions 5 of the wheel body to releasably secure the cover to the wheel body.

From the above description it is evident that my cap will mount on existing wheels in their present form without extra manufacturingoper ations or the addition of extra parts such as,

spring clips, buttons, or bumps eommonlynsed on the vehicle. wheels today for sec uring the cover thereto. a

' My cover canbe made of lighter material than the presently used hub caps'or wheel covers because the latter" must of necessity be made of heavier construction so that they will not distort in shape when they are forcibly secured to or removed from, the wheel.

In the assembly of my covert .to the wheel it,

will'be notedthat tongue portions I9 form a hook which hooks over the peripheral edge of the wheel;

body I. d V

In the form shown in Fig, 8 the'cover; 2!! is arranged to hook on to the rim 2 of the vehicle I wheel. To this endYcoVei- ZO provided with diametrically opposed tongues 2|, which terminate in radially outward flanges 22 Thus, tongues 2i and flanges 22 serve asv hooks for hooking the cover to rim 2, as shown in Fig. 8.

The outside circumference of cover 2ll wi1l be substantially the same as they inner circumference of rim 2 and here again hooks22 will be I, resilient because they are made of spring metal;

or steel integral with cover 20.

To faciltate' releasing ofcover 20- from rirn each hook portion 2|, is provided with a de'pres sion or inwardly formed portionf23 which provides a clearance between the inner face of rim 2 and the cover 20 for insertion of atool, such as a screw driver l6, Figj ll By prying upwardly on screw driver it, Fig. 11, hook 2| will be sprung downwardly thereby disengagin flange 22. from.

the inside ecefi of rim 2 andv erm t inammoval of the cover from the wheeL, Here. again the cover is simply hooked on the wheel rim to...v secure the cover to the wheel and is unhookedi.

spaced. resilient tonguesflat, the peripheral edge thereof, said tongues-having radial flanges. at. the

end thereof adapted to. hook behind a radial edge of said wheel, one of said tongues having. a socket formed therein accessible from the outerside of said; cover. whereby a. prying tool can be inserted into said socket from the outer side of the cover and used as a lever to pry said tongue in a radial direction away from said radial edge of said wheel and thereby disengage said radial flange from behind said radial edge of said Wheel.

2. The combination claimedinclaim 1 including a plurality of circumferentially spaced rubber pads located on the inside face of said cover adjacent the circumference thereof, said pads being; compression between the inside face of the cover and the outside face of the wheel body when the cover is assembled to the wheel body.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 including elastic means located on the inside face of said'cover adjacent the circumference thereof, said elastic means beingin compression between the inside face of thecover and the outside face of the wheel body when the cover is assembled to the wheel body.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover is aconcave resilient member and said tongues are integral therewith.

5. The. combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said flanges extend radially inwardly and are adapted to engage behind a'radial edge on the wheel body 6. A cover for a vehicle wheel comprising a concave disc having at least two axially extending and circumferentially spaced resilient tongues at the peripheral edge thereof adapted to overlie axially extending. portions ofthe wheel, said tongues having radial flanges at the end thereof adapted to hook behind a radial edge portion-on said axially extending portion of said wheel,.one of saidtongues having a socket formed therein accessible from the outer side of said cover and providing an opening between said tongue and disengage said radial flange from behind saidradial edge portion;

a 7. A cover for a vehicle wheel having at least two circumferentially spaced resilient tongues at the peripheral edge thereof, said tongues being inclined to the general plane of said cover and having flanges at the end thereof extending perpendicularly to the plane, of said tongues, said flanges being adapted to hook behind an edge portion of said wheel. one of said tongues having a socket formed therein accessible from the outer face of the cover whereby an instrument may be inserted into saidsocket from the outer side.

of; the wheel and used as a lever to pry said tongue in a directionperpendicular to the plane of; said tongue and, away from. said edge portion of said wheel and thereby disengage said flange from behind said edge portion.

8. The combination set forth in claim '7 where! in -said flanges extend in a direction inwardly of the wheel and areadapted to hook. behind an. edge portion of the wheel body.

9. The combination set forth in claim 7 including a plurality of circumferentially spaced rub' ber pads on the inside face of said cover adjacent the peripheral edge thereof, said pads being com-- pressed between the inside face of the cover and the outside face of the wheel body when the cover is assembled on said wheel.

10. The combination set forth in claim 8 wherein said socket comprises an opening in said tongue accessible from the outer side of said cover whereby an instrument may be inserted" through said opening and the tongue and used as a lever to flex said tongue in a direction outwardly of the wheel to disengage said flange from behind said edge portion.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 1 including a plurality of circumferentially spaced rubberpads on the inside face of said cover adjacent the peripheral edge thereof, said pads being compressed between the inside face of the cover and the outside face of the wheel body when the cover is assembled on the wheel.

12. A cover for a wheel including a rim having at least two circumferentially spaced resilient hooks adapted to interengage the rim of the Wheel to releasably secure the cover to the wheel, the said cover having substantially the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the wheel rim, said cover being provided with a depression in one of said hooks whereby an instrument may be inserted in the depression adjacent the inner face of the wheel rim and the hook sprung radial- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,878,441 Green Sept. 20, 1932 2,016,395 Sinclair Oct. 8, 1935 2,020,885 Gatta, Nov. 12, 1935 2,127,220 Horn Aug. 16, 1938 2,159,881 Booth May 23, 1939 2,174,087 Horn Sept. 26, 1939 2,186,550 Lyon Jan. 9, 1940 2,231,931 Lyon Feb. 18, 1941 2,358,468 Mulhern Sept. 19, 1944 2,368,245 Lyon Jan. 30, 1945 

